MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress leaders missed the meeting of the party delegates called by Shashi Tharoor, candidate for the party president post. Though some young party leaders pledged their support
for Tharoor.
Tharoor’s challenger Mallikarjun Kharge was also in Mumbai a day ago to meet the delegates. Interestingly, all senior Congress leaders, including Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat, were present for Kharge’s meeting. The hall of the Kharge meeting was overflowing with party leaders and workers. However, the same workers were absent at the Tharoor meeting.
Reacting to the thin turnout at his meeting, Tharoor said that he has no idea why senior Congress leaders are ignoring his candidature. He said that when he met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, they clearly told him that there is no Gandhi family-backed candidature in the presidential election.
“Despite clarity over candidature, there is a deliberate attempt to spread the misinformation about my candidature terming it as a non-official candidature. The wrong impression should not be created. However, I am confident I to get many delegate votes in this election. Many people, who are unable to support me publically, phoned me and assured their support. There are many such people who are backing me in this election,” Tharoor said.